The new variety of strawberry plant was selected as a seedling from a controlled breeding plot in Vista, Calif. in or about April 1998. The seedling was selected from among plants germinated from open-pollinated seed gathered from Fragariaxc3x97ananassa Duchesne xe2x80x98Pajaroxe2x80x99 plants, also known as xe2x80x98Pajaroxe2x80x99 strawberry. Because the seed was open-pollinated, the other parent variety is not known.
The selected seedlings was grown and asexually propagated from stolons at a nursery near sea level in Bonsall, in San Diego county in California. Further generations of plants were propagated from stolons at a high elevation nursery in Mcdoel, Calif., and extensively tested.
This propagation and testing has confirmed that the new variety has a desirable combination of traits, which remain true to type through successive generations of asexual propagation. Propagation by use of both stolons and micro-tissue culture the been successful, though other means of asexual propagation might be used as well.
The parent variety, xe2x80x98Pajaroxe2x80x99, is described in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 4,538. xe2x80x98Pajaroxe2x80x99 has been grown on the northern coast of California in a system whereby plants were propagated and held in cold storage until being planted out in summer. The new variety, in contrast, was selected for fall planting and winter fruiting. Compared to xe2x80x98Pajaroxe2x80x99, the new variety requires fewer hours of chilling and produces fruit earlier in the season. The new variety produces conical fruit with a meaning mass of 24.2 grams; xe2x80x98Pajaroxe2x80x99 produces wedge-shaped fruit with a typical mass of 22.2 grams. The average total yield per plant of the new variety is 1376 grams of fruit per plant; a typical yield for xe2x80x98Pajaroxe2x80x99 is 1127 grams. xe2x80x98Pajaroxe2x80x99 and the new variety of strawberry were not directly compared in side-by-side testing because xe2x80x98Pajaroxe2x80x99 does not thrive in coastal southern California, the environment for which the new variety was selected, and does not set fruit at the same season as the new variety.
The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of strawberry plant, Fragariaxc3x97ananassa Duchesne xe2x80x98NB-1xe2x80x99. The new variety is distinguished from older varieties by a combination of traits, including vigorous growth habit; low chill requirement; ability in winter to flower and set fruit; large conical fruit; good taste, texture, and color of the fruit; and good cold storage qualities of the fruit. The new variety is well adapted for commercial use in coastal southern California.
The new variety is believed to be similar in characteristics to xe2x80x98Camarosaxe2x80x99 (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,708, filed Apr. 1, 1993). xe2x80x98Camarosaxe2x80x99 also can be grown in coastal southern California. Therefore, the new variety was tested against xe2x80x98Camarosaxe2x80x99 to determine if the new variety was distinct from xe2x80x98Camarosaxe2x80x99.
1. The plant of the new variety is more vigorous with a higher number of adventitious crowns.
2. Fruit is larger and remains larger for a longer period through the harvest.
3. Fruit is conic in shape, as distinct from the wedge-shaped fruit of xe2x80x98Camarosaxe2x80x99. The conical shape is relatively consistent throught the harvest period.
4. The taste and texture of the fruit after 7 days in cold storage is superior. A taste panel of 10 persons preferred xe2x80x98NB -1xe2x80x99 to xe2x80x98Camarosaxe2x80x99 7 to 3 in a blind test when asked to compare overall palatability of fruits stored at 40 degrees Fahrenheit for 7 days in a commercial cooling facility after pre-cooling. Brilliant color of xe2x80x98NB1xe2x80x99 fruit is retained better in cold storage than that of xe2x80x98Camarosaxe2x80x99.
5. The new variety is less susceptible to powdery mildew and interior crown rot.
6. Calyxes are larger and darker green those of xe2x80x98Camarosaxe2x80x99. They tend to be flush with the outline of the fruit or slightly indented. Those of xe2x80x98Camarosaxe2x80x99 are often xe2x80x9cneckedxe2x80x9d, or bulging from the outline of the fruit.
7. Fruit of xe2x80x98NB-1xe2x80x99 is softer than that of xe2x80x98Camarosaxe2x80x99. Tasters preferred the softer texture of xe2x80x98NB-1xe2x80x99 as xe2x80x9cpeach-likexe2x80x9d as compared to xe2x80x9capple-likexe2x80x9d firmness of xe2x80x98Camarosaxe2x80x99 fruit. Tasters rated the texture of xe2x80x98NB-1xe2x80x99 as more desirable in a dessert than that of xe2x80x98Camarosaxe2x80x99.
8. xe2x80x98NB-1xe2x80x99 plants require less irrigation during fruiting season than xe2x80x98Camarosaxe2x80x99 plants.
The new variety was grown side-by-side with xe2x80x98Camarosaxe2x80x99 in open field trials during the 1999-2000 growing season in Vista, Calif. The test plot is near sea level, on the coast of southern California.
Comparisons of the two varieties are based on the means of several observations. Field appearance ratings of the plants and fruits are based upon 7 positive observations of xe2x80x98NB-1xe2x80x99 to 5 positive observations of xe2x80x98Camarosaxe2x80x99.